A JUDGE told a motorist who drove though a hedge on to the other side of a dual carriageway he was giving him the 'hard option'of not being jailed.

Ryan Smith's £120 Peugeot 106 narrowly missed a motorcyclist coming the other way in the dead of night as it ploughed through the greenery as he tried to escape police.

But Recorder Richard Shepherd told the 21-year-old that rather than giving him three months behind bars, a suspended sentence would be more challenging.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Smith raced away from police during the night on Monday May 21, doing 80mph in a 40mph zone.

She said CCTV from the following patrol car showed him going through red lights, the wrong side of bollards and a roundabout and swerving all over the road.

As officers close in, the car goes through a hedge at the bottom of Thamesdown Drive on to the opposite carriageway, narrowly missing a bike coming the other way.

After continuing on to Meadway the chase eventually came to an end and he told police he knew he should have stopped.

When he was questioned he said that he had bought the car the night before for £120.

Smith, of Beech Avenue, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop and no insurance. He has previous for possessing cannabis and having a knife.

Probation officer Jackie Reynolds said he lives with his mum and seven siblings and had always worked in the removals business.

She said he was vulnerable and in the past had been given work in charity shops when he was put on unpaid work.

Emma Handslip, defending, said "Having spoken to him it is clear that this is someone who has had an extremely challenging life."

She said he suffers Tourette's, ADHD and obsessive compulsive disorder and is prone to impulsive behaviour.

On the night of the offence she said he had taken the car for a spin and when the blue lights go on behind someone says 'let's go' and his impulsivity took over.

Passing sentence the judge said "You know how bad your driving was, you saw it on the footage from the police car.Going through red lights, the wrong side of bollards and roundabouts. You were swerving taking evasive measures trying to stop officers arresting you.

"You then went over a hedge either intentionally or because you lost control, it almost doesn't matter.

"The problem was a motorcyclist was coming the other way. A motorcyclist doesn't have much protection: you could have killed him.

"Your driving is worth nine months, with a guilty plea that is six months. I can send you to prison today for three months, in reality, or I can take the hard option.

"The hard option is a suspended sentence, a hard option is unpaid work, a hard option is rehabilitation activity days.And that is the hard option because they will challenge you like you have never been challenged before."

He imposed a six month jail term suspended for two years with 180 hours of unpaid work, 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and banned him from the road for a year and until he has passed an extended test.